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The California Housing Finance Agency is loaning millions of dollars to Berkeley and 15 other California cities, including Oakland, to help create affordable housing opportunities for low-income residents.

The $12.8 million in loans, announced Tuesday by Gov. Gray Davis’ office, go to Housing Enabled by Local Partnerships (HELP), a program designed to create affordable housing through private and public aid. The funds will “help communities provide housing for families, the disabled and senior citizens in need,” Davis said in a statement.

The low-interest loans are coming from the California Housing Finance Agency as part of the HELP program's five-year, $100 million commitment, according to the governor.